Pope Benedict XVI decried the "horror of events unfolding in Darfur," and demanded an end to "the cycle of violence and misery there," as he met on November 28 with a group of Catholic pilgrims from Sudan.
The Pope assured his visitors-- who were led by Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako of Khartoum-- of his "prayers and deep concern" for their country, which has been torn by civil war for years. While he lamented the continued bloodshed and misery in the Darfur province, he welcomed the peace agreement that has brought an end to the long and costly war in southern Sudan.
"The cessation of the civil war and the enactment of a new constitution have brought hope to the long-suffering people of Sudan," the Pope said. The construction of a new coalition government, he continued, provides "an unprecedented opportunity and indeed duty" for Christians to become involved in building a permanent and stable peace. "Though a minority, Catholics have much to offer through inter-religious dialogue as well as the provision of greatly needed social services," the Pope noted.
This was the first time during the pontificate of Benedict XVI that official representatives of the Sudanese bishops' conference met with the Pontiff. During their latest ad limina visit, in December 2003, the Sudanese bishops heard Pope John Paul II encourage them to work for an end to the civil war that was still ravaging the south of their country.
The Holy See has consistently deplored the new conflict in Darfur. In July 2004, Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, the president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, traveled to Darfur as a personal envoy representing Pope John Paul, delivering financial aid to the refugees who had fled their homes to escape marauding militia groups. In March 2005 the Vatican's representative at the UN offices in Geneva, Msgr. Fortunatus Nwachukwu, urged special efforts to protect the refugees leaving Darfur. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's permanent observer at UN headquarters in New York, renewed that appeal earlier this month. An estimated 200,000 people from Darfur are now living in refugee camps in neighboring Chad, with at least an equal number struggling to find temporary lodging elsewhere in Sudan.
The civil war in southern Sudan lasted 21 years, and caused an estimated 2 million deaths (including the victims of starvation aggravated by the breakdown in relief deliveries), before a peace accord was finally struck in January 2005. The fighting in Darfur began in February 2003 and reached a crescendo in 2004.
- (CWNews.com)
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